ALL THE SIGNS OF A GOOD TIME are here: Smiles on faces rosy from the cold. Laughter drifting from around glowing firepits. Delighted squeals echoing off white alpine slopes. Bundled children waddling in thick jackets and insulated boots. Multigenerational groups gathered inside soft-sided structures reminiscent of igloos. And, importantly, the constant flow of people of all ages taking turns riding cushiony inner tubes down 13 steep chutes packed with groomed snow.
At Ruidoso’s Winter Park, tubing is the main attraction. Requiring no special skills or equipment, it’s an activity everyone enjoys together. “You just sit and slide,” says Kay Sims, chief of staff of the entertainment operation that also boasts a zip line with a 30-foot tower and the 5,100-foot-long Screaming Eagle Mountain Coaster that operates year-round. “We have different areas of snow tubing for each age or height.”
Little kids can slide in Penguin Park—a sequestered area with two short runs accessible by a staircase—and those between three and five ride free. “We try and give you two options where you can slide,” Sims says.
The park has both single and double tubes, but that doesn’t limit the number of people allowed to slide down at once. “You can link single tubes together,” says Sims, who remembers one train a dozen tubes long. Better yet, three conveyor lifts mean you’re not dragging the tubes back uphill. The snow-making capacity at Winter Park, among the largest tubing facilities in the Rocky Mountains, allows for operations to continue even in the slimmest snow years.
The only barrier is the popularity. Tickets are good for three hours and sometimes sell out. “Reserving online guarantees you’re counted in the capacity,” Sims offers. “Last year on Christmas Eve, we sold close to 2,000 tickets.”
On chilly days, guests gravitate toward firepits and tables in the courtyard, where vendors serve warm food and hot chocolate. “We allow people to bring their own food and drink,” says Sims, who points people without their own cold-weather gear toward the on-site rental shop.
“On every single chute, there’s a staff member who helps you get in your tube, explains what’s going to happen and how to stop,” Sims says. “When you slide out at the bottom, staff members help you out of your tube.”
Want more winter fun? Check out New Mexico's best snow tubing spots across Red River, Angel Fire, and Cloudcroft.